Apparatus for measuring and adjusting tension in guy lines



y 15, 1945- G. v. DAVIES ET AL 2,376,037

APPARATUS FOR'MEASURING AND ADJUSTING TENSION IN GUY LINES Filed April 23, 1945 2 Sh eetS-Sheet 1 INVENTORS GEORGEALDAVIES FLOYD. P

is ARR lvmz zzg z ATTORN EY M y 15, 5- G. v. DAVIES ET AL 2,376,037

APPARATUS FOR MEASURING AND ADJUSTING TENSION IN GUY LINES Filed April '25, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 15, 1945 APPARATUS i f 376,037 7 FORMEA'SUKING AND ADJUST- I INGTENSION IN GUY LINES v .GoodriehQWin'dsor,

' t'o The Ganadian Bridge csfFloyd Parr, and Chauncey M.

Ontario, Canada, assignors Company Limited,

" '1 Walkerville, Ontario, Canada I p Ap lication April23j1943, Serial No. 484,268

This invention relates to apparatus for measuring and, when necessary-adjusting the ten-: sion in the guy lines of avertical-mast or-tower such, for example, as a radio-ahtennaltower.

For one reason oranother previously proposed devices intended to 4 accomplish the' urpose of the present inventionhave not proven suflicientlysatisfactory for. widespreadadoption. For example, 'ithas previously-beenproposed. to-provide punch marks at' two suitably separated points inthe length .of a-guy line so'tha't-when between the punch marks -will beincreasedto correspondwith the marks on an-unstressed comparator-rod. -This scheme doesnot readilylenditseli to accurate tensioning of the guy line even when used by highlyl-skilledtechnicians. It is also open to the objection that it makes noprovisionfor large adjustments in the lengthof the guy lines and is unsuitable-tor use in those *caseswhere -con-' siderable shortening of guy lines must, be resorted toin order ,to.restore the initial tension after the guy lines or cables have been stretched in service. 1

I the ,guy line .is properly tensioned. the distance distance between two check.

of the anchoring by which the cable ele ment is anchored to a fixed abutment. In either case provision is made so that the tension in the portion of the guy line system lying between the yokes is released when the yokes are adjusted to shorten the distance therebetween. A When it is desired to adjust, as well as measure, the tension in the guy line, this may be accomplished by providing suitable tensioningmeans in the guy line systembetweenthe points-of attachment of the yokes or elsewhere-in said system.

When the measuring deviceprovidedin accordance with this invention is connectedbetweenthe cable element and an anchoring link of the g y linesystem'it enables the guy line to be lengthened or shortened by substitutinglonger or shorter links inthat portion of the system which is relaxed and relieved of tension when Other previously proposedguy line tension measuring .andadjusting devices require that such devices .bepermanently included, inlwhole.

or in-part, in the guy line itself. Such devices complicate theinstallation of the guy line with which they are associated and constitute an expensive and inconvenient means for determining andadjusting the tension;

The presentinvention provides a. simple type of portable. tensionmeasuring apparatus which may easilybe applied to any conventional .guy line-and which, when so applied, may be .used by a comparatively unskilled workman to measure and adjust the tensionin the guy linewith the requisite-degree of accuracy.

More particularly, the present invention'provides a tension measuring device comprisingtwo.

yokes adapted to be detachably fastened to a guy line system at suitablyseparated points,

said yokes. being coupledtogether byr connections whichare adjustable to. shorten the initial distancev between the yokes so that the tension in the portion of the guy line system between the yokes istaken over by the measuring device and is measured or indicated by a dynamometer ineluded-in one of said adjustable connections.

The measuring device may be connectedbetween two points of the cable element of the guy line systembut-it is preferred that one yoke be connected to the-cableelement and the other to one Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially I along the line 22 of Fig. 1. i

Fig. 3 is atop plan view of the upper yoke shown in Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 Ba view similar to Fig. l but showing a modification. Y r

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken substantially along the section line 55 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line 6-6 of Fig. 4.

Referring to the assembly shown in Figs; 1 to 3 inclusive, 5 designates a guy line cable having its lower end anchored to a suitable abutment 6 by anchoragemeans comprising cable socket I, turnbuckle 8, links 9', and anchor bar II], the latter being embedded in said abutment.

A yoke H is detachably secured to cable 5 in strain transmitting-engagement with the upper end of cable socket I;

pin I3jpassing through an extra hole provided in said link. Corresponding ends of the two 1 yokes are adjustably connected together by a threaded rod 14 equipped with yoke-engaging adjusting nuts 15s =The two remaining ends of the yokes are also connected by an adjustable substantially A second yoke i2 is detachably secured to the-lowermost linkfl by a connection including two threaded rods l6 having their inner ends connected, by shackles I! or other suitable means, to an interposed dynamometer I8 or other stress measuring device, the outer ends of rods l6 being equipped with yokeengaging adjusting nuts l9.

After the yokes II and I2 havebeen secured in place on the guy line system, the nuts and H! are screwed up on the-rods l4 and [6, thus decreasing the distance between the yokes so that the links 9 lying betweenthe points of attachment of the yokes are relieved of,tension and permitted to slacken, the tension being transferred to the yokes and their-fconnectionsand being indicated by the dynamometer [8; Hit

is found that shortening of the guy'line' systei'n isl necessary to restore the initial tension this may pivoted to the guy line system so that the lever arms between which the adjusting rod I4 is connected are of the same length as the lever arms between which the dynamometer I8 is connected. In this case there is a substantially equal division of the tension load between the two yoke connections.

In the arrangement shown in Figs. 4 and 5 the yokes and 32 are pivotally secured to the guy line system so that the lever arms of the yokes between which the dynamometer 33 is connected are shorter than the lever arms between be accomplished by appropriate adjustment of the turnbuckle 8.

more'eof the. relaxed links 9 with shorter links.

Each of the yokes II and I2 is here shown as comprising two channel irons 2i separated, at their ends, by interposed filler blocks 22 which are detachably secured in place in any suitable manner, said filler blocks being apertured for the passage of the adjusting rods l4 and It tnerethrough and servingas abutments for the adjusting nuts l5 and IS; The channel members of the upper yoke ll also carry cable engaging filler. pieces 23 which are shaped to fitaround the cable 5 in strain transmitting engagement with the upper end of ,the cable socket ,7.

In the construction shown in Figs-4 and 5 the points of attachment of the yokes are located between the turn-buckle 8 and the abutment 6. In this case the upper yoke 25 comprises side plates 26 which are fitted on opposite ends of a pin 2'! connecting the lower eye bolt of turnbuckle 8 to the upper ends of the uppermost links 8, said plates 26 being suitably separated by interposed spacer sleeves 28 and being. fastened The length of the guy line system may also be adjusted by replacing one or together by bolts 29 passing through said sleeves. v

The lower yoke 32 also comprises side plates 33 mounted on the ends of a pin 34 which connects thelower ends of the uppermost links 9 to the upper end of the next lower link 9. The; side plates of the lower yoke are fastened together in spaced relation by fastening bolts 35 ,andspacing sleeves 35 corresponding with the fastening bolts and spacing sleevespreviously described, The right hand ends of the two yokes shown in Fig. 4 are adjustably connected together by an interposed turn-buckle connection 36, the remaining or left hand ends of said yokes being connected by shackles 31 to an interposed dynamometer 38 or other strain measuring instrument. The lower ends of the uppermost links 9 shown in Figs. 4 and 5 are provided with longitudinally extendingslots 40 through which the connecting pin. 34 passes. This permits the up-. permost links 9 to slide downwardly relatively to said pin 34 and to be relieved of tension when the distance between the points of attachment of the yokes 25 and 32 is shortened by appropriate adjustment of th turn-buckle 36. In

' this way the tension is transferred from the uppermost links 9 to the measuring device and is indicated by the dynamometer 38. If it is found that the tension in theguide line system is greater or less than the desired tension this condition is remedied by appropriate adjustment of the turn-buckle 8.

g In the arrangement shown in Figs. 1; to. 3 inq u ivatli o es U. and .12 are. intermeeiate y which the yoke adjusting turn-buckle 36 is connected. Inthis case a greater proportion of the tension load transferred to the yokes is taken by the dynamometer as compared with the arrangement shown i'n Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive. In practice therelative' lengths of the lever arms of the two yokes may be varied so that the dynamometer will take'any desired proportion of the tension load which is transferred to the yokes when the distance between theyokes is shortened by the adjusting means provided for this purpose.

Having thus fully described what we new conceive to be the preferred embodiments of this invention, it will be understood that various modifications may be resorted to within the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is:

1. Apparatus for measuring the tension in a guy line comprising a pair of yokes, means pivotally securing intermediate portions of said yokes to the guy line at separated points inter mediate the ends of the gu line, a stress measuring instrument connected between corresponding ends of the yokes and a turn-buckle connected between the opposite ends of the yokes 2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which the central axis of each yoke is located at one side of the transverse centre of the yoke.

3. Apparatus for measuring the tension in a guy line comprising a pair of yokes, strain transmitting means pivotally securing intermediate portions of said yokes to the guy line at separated points intermediate the ends of the guy line, av stress measuring instrument, yoke adjusting means connecting said instrument to corresponding ends of said yokes and additional yoke adjusting means connected between the opposite ends of said yokes.

.4. Apparatus for measuring. the tension in a uy line comprising a pair of yokes, means pivotally securing intermediate portions of. said yokes to the guy line at separated points intermediate the ends of the guy line, a stress measuring instrument, adjustable means connecting said instrument to corresponding ends of said yokes, a threaded rod extending through and projecting beyond the opposite ends of the yokes and yoke engaging adjusting nuts threaded onto the projecting ends of said rod.

. 5. A guy line tension measuring assembly comprising a. tensioned any line system including a slot and pin. connection between adjacent elements of the system, a pair of. yokes connected to the guy line system at separated points located intermediate the ends of said system and at opposite sidesof said slot and pin connection, a stress measuring instrument connected between corresponding ends of said yoke and yoke adjusting means connected between the opposite ends of said yokes and operable to adjust the yokes so as to decrease the distance between theirpoints, of attachment to said. systemjthe tension in the portion of the guy line system 1ying between the points of attachment of the yokes being thereby transferred to the yokes and their connecting means and being indicated by said measuring instrument.

6. A guy line vtension measuring and adjusting assembly comprising a tensioned guyline system including an adjusting device for adjusting the length of said system, a pair of yokes connected to said system at separated'points located intermediate the ends of said system and at opposite sides of said adjusting device, a measuring instrument connected between corresponda ing ends of said yokes and yoke adjusting means connected between the opposite ends of said yokes.

'7. A guy line tension measuring and adjusting assembly comprising a tensioned guy line assemlinks anchoring the lower end of the cable to a suitable point of anchorage, adjacent link elemy including a guy line cable and a series of slacken that part of the system which lies between the said points of attachment of the yokes, a measuring instrument connected between corresponding ends of said yokes and yoke adjusting means connected between the opposite ends of the yokes and operable to draw the last mentioned ends of the yokes toward each other to shorten the distance between the points or attachment of the yokes to the guy line system.

I GEORGE v. DAVIES.

FLOYD PARR. CHAUNCEY M. GOODRICH. 

